(Phil, myself and Damien Lewis watching the greatest team in the world and learning leadership from the greatest manager)
It's not often you get introduced to someone who exudes leadership in everything they say and do but when I was lucky enough to meet and get to know Phil Grice I realised he was a great role model for me to follow.
In a time where so many people talk about leadership and the qualities it takes to be a good leader, it is hard to distinguish the best approach to take.
In reviewing my episode with Phil Grice, I thought I would highlight some of the rules on leadership he’s helped me establish.
Rule 1 - Control The Ego
The ego is within all of us and it sits on our shoulders motivating and pushing us further. In many ways, the self-belief we get from our ego is essential to leadership because you need to believe in yourself or an idea to achieve it.
However, there's always a balance to this and recognition of where the ego is needed and where it needs to be controlled is essential.
When spending time with Phil you learn very quickly that the man has control of his ego. He treats everyone the same and looks to learn from those around him regardless of whether he's the most or least important person in a room.
It is so easy in life to allow our minds to get ahead of ourselves and for us to think we are better than we are. Having the ability to recognise when and where our ego can benefit and restrict us is essential in being able to lead.
Ego can start a dream but if you let it take control it can kill a dream just as quickly.
Rule 2 - Be Present And Focused With Everyone
Without this becoming a homage or love letter to Phil, I want to recall the first time we met. Phil was in the middle of leading the relocation of Royal Norwich Golf Club and I was on the journey of trying to convince golf clubs that bespoke wallpaper could be a great way to connect further with golfers and visitors.
One thing I always admired about our first meeting was the time and presence Phil had for me and my presentation. It's not uncommon to pitch ideas to people who you can tell have their focus elsewhere but with Phil, I instantly felt his presence and support regardless of whether he wanted to commission me or not.
It is a very small detail but it goes a long way as you feel like your time is valued at the same as theirs despite the fact he had many more important places to be.
It is amazing how hectic and stressful life can get and meetings can blur days together so it can be understandable how focus and presence can drift, but this is what separates the good leaders from the great in my opinion.
People who are described as genuine leave their mark on people simply through their ability to be present and allow people they meet to feel like they've been seen and listened to.
When I think about all the most impactful people I’ve met in my life and memories of my time with them, this quality is a common denominator that stands out most.
Rule 3 - Humility
Humility comes hand in hand with removing your ego. The ability to recognise that you are not the most important person in a room and that you can always learn something new is essential to strong leadership.
Great leaders should never be the smartest people in the room, a great leader surrounds themself with people smarter across multiple fields in order to understand the whole situation.
The day you think that you are automatically the smartest person in a room because you lead a team is the day you lose the respect and trust of that team.
Speaking to Phil about his journey reinforced my admiration for him because he showed levels of humility beyond what I ever expected. Phil is a team-orientated person and never overlooked the importance of surrounding yourself with good people.
He recognises the role he has to play but also the importance of the roles of those around him. Everyone is equal.
The following clip highlights one of my favourite snippets of the episode in which he recognises that there are always different perspectives to have.
Episode Short 1 - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/21w2jIblXJw
Rule 4 - Be The Oxygen In The Blood, Don't Be The Blood
This rule highlights one of my favourite sayings from Phil about being a great leader.
Episode Short 2 - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wNneN7l26Qw
Too many times I see people talk about leaders being the main stars of a team so much so that they are the definition of their success and determine whether the team wins or loses.
You see this a lot in sports teams, especially football when managers are described as the reason behind the team's success. Now a lot of this can be true but I think it resonates more with me once you apply Phil’s saying.
A great manager is breathing oxygen into a team but the team is the blood that goes out to win matches. The players are the stars as they do the running and hard physical work. The skill which the manager needs to master is more mental and revolves around the ability to inspire players to be the best versions of themselves.
Once you can inspire your team to move forward with confidence and you create a healthy environment for growth you have mastered your role.
I don't think I could finish this rule without referring to the great man Jurgen Klopp whose charisma and leadership is admired around the world. He recognises the importance of his role and every rule I've written I believe he has mastered.
I think a quote from Thomas Werner, Chairman of FSG, owners of Liverpool FC, sums him up the best - "You look at the leadership of Jurgen Klopp,” Werner proposed. “I try to study it myself because I think he would be a world-class CEO for any company in the world."
Sometimes leadership is more about your character than your ability. It is easy to learn new skills, it is hard to develop a strong character to lead.
Rule 5 - Have A Vision And Set A Direction Of Travel
You can't be a strong leader without having a vision of where you want to go. Leaders are followed because they can see a destination they want to get to.
You don't need to know the exact route but you need to be able to give people belief and hope of an end point that is fruitful.
It is amazing to see the characteristics between leaders with a strong vision and those without. Anyone who tries to move forward without a vision can come across as lost and hesitant because they don't have any standard to check against.
Those who know where they want to go can easily make decisions which they can check against their vision. if something doesn't align with the end goal then it is easy to say no and move on. If you have no vision how can you decide if something is right or wrong for you?
This is one thing that Phil is amazing at doing. Once he has a vision of what he wants to achieve he very quickly sets a team off in the direction of travel and checks in with them to help them realign if they have gone slightly off track.
Rule 6 - Understand Your Why
Having a vision is one essential a leader needs but another is understanding your ‘why’.
If you can't explain why you are doing something how can you expect people to follow you?
This is a topic Phil and I have talked about several times and is something he looks to bring to the golf industry in everything he does. If a club can’t explain why it wants to change and grow then how can it expect its members to go along on the journey and understand the changes being made?
Why is the most important question any leader needs to answer well because their answer will define how those around them view them and their project.
When I told Phil I was writing this about leadership and him he responded with the perfect summary.
"Leadership is - Love + integrity + determination = Liverpool FC" - Phil Grice, 2024
Perfect Phil, thank you for everything.
To listen to the whole episode find it on Spotify or Youtube.
I am Will Flindall, host of the Valley of Outlaws Podcast where I speak to those who have decided to take control of their life and follow a passion or instinct.
If you feel like you could be getting more from your life, then maybe one of the conversations I’ve had with the Outlaws might help you kickstart a change.
Peace x
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